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a season – along with the fixture backlog good cup runs can bring – it’s the

right way to go.

It would be interesting to drill down into the stats of how many games have

been settled on spot-kicks since extra time was scrapped. And has it led to

more upsets?

From an away side’s point of view, with no replays, perhaps going straight to

penalties helps level the playing field. An extra 30 minutes away from home is

a long time to have to defend, especially if there is a big crowd in.

The semis are played across one leg these days too. Personally I used to quite

enjoy the chess match of semis played over two legs. It also brings to memory

the time a Poole Town fans’ forum likened Whitley Bay goal machine Paul Chow

to a small four-legged horse after their first leg. Of course he duly hit a hat-trick

in the second game to book their place at Wembley. Eeyore indeed!

What are your views on the semi-final set-up? How about neutral grounds like

in the FA Cup? When there is so much at stake, the luck of the draw can have

a big say when it comes to home advantage. Of course, you can always play

for penalties!